A Tampa woman is speaking out after she says she was falsely accused of stealing a rental car — and she brought receipts.
The woman, who goes by @bratlahxo on TikTok, shared a series of videos detailing what she described as a frightening ordeal involving an Enterprise rental she received while her personal vehicle was being repaired at an auto body shop, reported by Atlanta Black Star.
According to her Jan. 23 TikTok post, her car had been in the shop for weeks following an accident. When repairs took longer than expected, she says the shop told her her rental would be extended through the weekend. Anticipating potential issues, she recorded a conversation with an employee confirming the extension.
But later that same day, she says she received a call from Enterprise accusing her of felony auto theft.
“Imagine having your car in the body shop for weeks after an accident, finally picking it up, and realizing it wasn’t even fixed properly,” she wrote in the caption of her video. “You’re told it’s okay to leave the car and that your rental will be extended…only to receive a call two hours before your 7 pm night shift with a story that later turns out to be a lie, claiming you drove off with the vehicle without permission.”
In the video, she explained that the accusation came as a shock — especially with the potential consequences. A theft report could have led to police involvement, arrest, or even jail time.
Instead, she says she relied on what she called her “photo and video receipts,” including the recorded confirmation of the extension. The situation ultimately did not result in criminal charges.
In a follow-up video posted Jan. 27, @bratlahxo said she filed formal complaints with both Enterprise and the auto body shop involved. She described receiving what she called “the corporate runaround” rather than a clear apology, but said she believes the issue may have stemmed from a miscommunication between the companies. She added that both businesses are conducting internal reviews.
Her experience comes amid heightened scrutiny of rental car companies over erroneous theft reports. In 2022, Hertz agreed to pay $168 million to settle claims from hundreds of customers who said they were falsely accused of stealing rental vehicles — with some reporting arrests, jail time and job losses as a result. That same year, reporting identified hundreds of questionable theft reports linked to Enterprise.
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